Big opportunites come with 3 matches in 5 days

Thursday, October 17

Arlington, Texas

4 p.m.

Grand Canyon

UT Arlington

Photo by: Nate Cochran

10/16/2024 7:09:00 PM | Volleyball

Lopes face 1st-place UTA on Thursday, host Tarleton on Saturday, visit No. 13 ASU on Monday

By: Nathan Peters


GRAND CANYON LOPES (12-5, 5-1 WAC)	vs.	UT ARLINGTON MAVERICKS (16-2, 6-0 WAC)
		TARLETON STATE BULLDOGS (5-14, 0-6 WAC)
		#13 ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (16-2)

The Grand Canyon women's volleyball team faces first-place UT Arlington on the road Thursday before heading home to take on Tarleton State at Antelope Gymnasium for Saturday's Throwback Day. The Lopes then face No.13 Arizona State at Mullett Arena in Tempe on Monday.

THINGS TO KNOW

Senior middle blocker Trista Strasser entered the week 25th nationally in total blocks.
The Lopes rank first in the WAC and 10th nationally in blocks per set with 2.83.
GCU is 4-0 on the road in conference play.
Lopes junior outside hitter Tatum Parrott is 12 kills away from 1,000 career kills.

LAST TIME OUT

The Lopes faced UT Arlington in the WAC opener without GCU Division I-era kills leader Tatum Parrott. The all-time series is tied at three wins each.
GCU is 3-0 against Tarleton State in Phoenix, winning nine of the 10 sets played.
The Lopes have not played Arizona State since 1990, a match in Tempe that went to the Sun Devils.

SCOUTING UT ARLINGTON

UT Arlington is on a seven-match winning streak to tie for the 10th-best winning percentage in the nation this season. Eleven of the wins have come by sweep.
The Mavericks rank in the nation's top 30 for hitting percentage (.265, No. 27) and lowest opponent hitting percentage (.161, No. 24)
Graduate outside hitter Brianna Ford, who recorded 20 kills when UT Arlington won at GCU on Sept. 26, is the WAC kills and points leader. She ranks 10th nationally with 5.42 points per set.
Graduate middle blocker Paige Reagor, who is 6 feet 6, ranks 11th nationally with .433 hitting while graduate setting Mollie Blank ranks 15th nationally at 10.7 assists per set.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Lopes will have the first week of the regular season with two home matches when Utah Valley visits Oct. 24 and Southern Utah comes to Global Credit Union Arena on Oct. 26.